


Wait 30 Minutes

by nausicaa82



Series: Thundershield Prompts [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, Swimming Pools, Thundershield Week, Workplace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-04
Updated: 2013-07-04
Packaged: 2017-12-17 15:50:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/869258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nausicaa82/pseuds/nausicaa82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers takes a job selling ice cream at a community pool where certainly the sweetest perk is the swim instructor/lifeguard he gets to stare at all day. </p><p> This is for ThunderShield Week, Tuesday prompt: Summer means ice cream</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wait 30 Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd, I welcome people politely pointing out mistakes so I may correct them.

Mr. Erskine had taken a big chance on Steve the summer before he started college, hiring him to run the ice cream stand at the Shield Swimming Pool. Steve was determined not to make the kindly older man regret the decision. There were challenges that made the job rather difficult—demanding customers, keeping track of the inventory, and due to his arthritis, standing on his feet for even just a portion of the shifts caused him great pain. However, Steve worked doubly hard to keep his register balanced and his stand in tip-top shape. Besides, all of the difficult and painful parts of the job were cancelled out as Steve spent his days across from the most attractive man he had ever seen.

Everybody at the pool called him Thor, and Steve wasn’t sure if that was his real name or just an apt nickname. If Steve had half the chance, he happily would worship his body like he was a god. Each morning, Steve watched him teach a class of young children how to kick their legs while holding Styrofoam boards, then teach another class of older children how to dive and use proper swimming strokes. It was shocking how someone so large and hard with muscles could be so gentle and encouraging with his young pupils.   

Steve had been working the stand for a few weeks and his days were almost identical. A few parents would buy treats for themselves or as rewards for a good class, but other than that, the mornings for the most part were slow. After doing inventory and prepping for the afternoon, Steve could just delight in overhearing Thor give encouragement and kind corrections in his deep rolling voice. Every day, the last class would leave, and the pool would close for lunch and to transition for free swim. Right before the gate would open and the neighborhood children would spend their afternoons there, Thor would come by the ice cream stand and buy one ice cream sandwich.

Steve had yet to muster up the courage to actually speak to Thor, not even able to thank him for his patronage like he did for every other customer. However, Thor seemed to take it in stride, comment about the weather or a movie he had seen while Steve would retrieve the order from the freezer.  Then Steve would watch as Thor ate the treat and climbed up on the lifeguard’s chair to monitor that afternoon’s crowd until the pool closed for the day.

Each night, Steve would go back to his room and lay in his bed, listening to music and trying to will away the aches of his joints and the fatigue of his muscles. He would remember Thor’s praises, imagine they were for him, and then fade into dreams where he was taller and bigger and charming so Thor would desire him as well. Each morning, his alarm went off and the process started over again.

However, a change came a few days before Independence Day when he was retrieving Thor’s usual order.

“Are you going to Tony’s party after work on Thursday?” Thor had never asked him a direct question like this before.

“T-T-Tony, the owner’s son?”

“Yes! He has guaranteed a great fireworks show and ribs. Steve, you know he throws the best parties on the weekends, and this one promises to be even grander than his usual affairs.”

“Oh, yeah,” Steve lied, a little surprised Thor knew his name. He had never been to any of the parties the younger workers seemed to frequent together.

“Excellent! I was hoping you were going!” Thor beamed.

“Wait, no; I didn’t mean I was going. I—“ Steve had to think of something better than  ‘ _was not invited’_ and took a stab in the dark. “I can’t get there; the buses don’t go to that side of town, and I don’t have a car.” That seemed like a valid reason and rather insurmountable.

“I would be pleased to drive you there and back. I will pick you up at your home around eight.”

“E-eight o’clock?” Steve repeated.

“It’s a date!” Thor exclaimed and made his way to his chair for the afternoon, overlooking the entire pool. Steve looked down at his body, and seeing his thin and bony frame, knew that this wasn’t one of his dreams.

This was real. He had a date, with Thor, to a fancy party, _on his birthday_.


End file.
